Means for cutting off blanks in headers, upsetting machines, or the like



March 1 R. 1.. WILCOX MEANS FOR CUTTING OFF BLANKS lN HEADERS, UPSETTING MACHINES, OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 15, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 171027202 ,lfy

I March 29 1927.

R. L. WILCOX MEANS FOR CUTTING OFF BLANKS IN HEADERS, UPSETTING MACHINES, OR THE LIKE :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil ed Jan. 15. 1925 March 29 1927. R. WILCOX MEANS FOR CUTTING OFF BLANKS IN HEADERS, UPSETTING MACHINES, OR THE LIKE Filed Jan QlS, 19 25 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 QFMINH. QWIIIA 1.: III. N l n wmmmmmm n l ii. 'M mrwmmmmmm QNRQ Y MN Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

RICHARD LESTER VJILCOK,

OI VJATERBUEY,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATERBURY FARREL FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CGNNEGTIUUT.

MEANS FOR CUTTING OFF BLANKS IN HEADERS, UPSETTING MACHINES, OR THE LIKE.

Application filed January 15, 19 23.

This invention relates to new and improved means and method for cutting off blanks in a header, upsetting machine, or the like, especially to such type thereof as utilizes open or companion dies as shown in the co-pending application, Serial Number 612,837.

It is the object of this invention, among other things, to rigidly support, during the cutting off operation, that portion of the projecting material that is to form the next blank upon which operations are to be performed, to insure a clean, square and sharp cut of the material at substantially a right angle to the length of the material, to actuate the dies whereby the same are in contact with the blank during the cutting off operation, to separate the dies at the feed line, and relax the tension thereon in timed relation with the movement of the dies, and in these and other ways to produce a new means and method of cutting off blanks that may be applied and utilized in a header, upsetting machine, or the like, of conventional form and type without material alterations therein.

To these and other ends my invention consists in the means and method for cutting off blanks in a header, upsetting machine, or the like, having certain details of.construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in the several figures:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a header or upsetting machine, having my improved mechanism connected there with;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view thereof, taken generally upon line 83 of Figure 2;

Figure 4: is an enlarged detail plan view of some of the parts in section, taken generally upon line t-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the upper end of one of the separating pins with some of its adjacent mechanism;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the dies in the relative position occupied by them at the feed line when separated; and

Serial No. 612,836.

, Figure 7 is a similar view showing the relative position of the follower die after it has been moved into contact with the material at the wire feed line.

Heretofore in open die headers the dies are separated slightly from each other at the feed line, that is, atthe point where the material is fed therebetween, each die being substantially equally distant from said feed line. After the material has been fed therebetween, one of the dies, generally designated as the cut off die, is moved toward the feed line, contacts with the projecting materia thereat and during its continued move- .ient cuts such projecting material from the rod or wire length, and contacts with the other die, generally known as the follower die. Thereafter both dies move as a unit and carry the blank therebetween into register with the upsetting or heading line.

hen the dies are so actuated, that porti on of the material severed by the out off die is supported upon one side only with an open space therebetween and the follower die upon the opposite side until the cutting off operation is either complete or partially so. The cut oil die does not contact with the adjacent face of the follower die, until after the contact face thereof has passed beyond the center of the feed line and through the open space, between said center and the face of the follower die. It is obvious therefore that the cut off die travels a very substantial distance before meeting the follower die and that the blank cut from the material is only partially supported during this period when in fact it should be entirely supported. As a result, there is a tendency for the cut face of the blank to be rough and ragged and slightly angular relative to the axis thereof due to the material inclining toward the follower die at its outer end until engaged thereby, thus throwing the projecting portion of the material out of a true line in relation to that portion next to be fed.

In the present invention I overcome these and other difficulties in the prior art by moving the follower die until it contacts with the material at the wire feed line at about the same time as the cut off die, so that the two dies are in contact with each other and with the wire at the feed line, leaving no space therebetween. Thus the material is supported throughout its entire length during the cut ofi' operation and having no relative movement is cut at a right angle to the length of the material.

In the drawings, 10 designates the body of a header, upsetting machine, or the like, 11 a rock shaft connected therewith having rock arm 12 thereon. 13 is a cut off die, 14; the follower die, both of which are supported upon a plate 15 and have a wearing plate 16 upon the top side thereof, being held against upward movement by a cap or cover 17 held in position relatively to the body 10 by one or more clamps 30, through which are the separating pins 18, each having a lower pointed end 19.

The dies are moved laterally between the plates 15 and 16 from the feed line perpendicular to the broken lines 20 in Figure 3 toward the upsetting line by a reciprocating bar 21, which is actuated in timed relation with the dies by means, not shown, but well known in the art. Between the end of this bar and the cut off die 13 is a filler plate 22.

The dies are moved laterally in the reverse direction, that is, from the upsetting line to the feed line, by means of the springs which are secured at one end to a fixed bracket 21-, the other ends of which bear against a plunger head 25, to which are senred the plungers 26, each of which moves within a sleeve 27 in the bed 10, and is connected at the inner ends with a pusher block 28 between which and the follower die is a tiller plate 29.

in operation the dies are moved from the feed line to the upsetting line through the bar 21, at which time the material therebetween is out off and during this movement the plungers 26 are moved against the tension of the springs 23. After the pressure applied to the dies by the bar 21 is released, the springs 23 move the dies in a reverse direction, that is, toward the feed line and when adjacent thereto the separating pins 18, which are normally actuated by springs bearing against the head thereof, drop down into the V-notch formed by the cutaway corners of the dies and separate the same at the wire feed line, the adjacent faces of each of the dies being substantially equally distant from said feed line. lVhile the dies are so held the material, which in this case is shown as being circular in cross-section, is fed between the dies by mechanism, not shown.

All of the mechanism above described is now known in the art and constitutes no part of this present invention.

Slidably mounted in one side of the bed 10 adjacent to the plungers 26 is a cam slide 31, which receives a reciprocating motion from the rock arm 12 through the link 32 pivotally connected therewith and with said rock arm. This cam slide is provided in its outer edge with a recess or depression 33 and also with a cam face 31-. Also secured to said bed and forming a support for one side of said cam slide 31 is a cover plate 35 having an opening 36 therethrough opposite the recess or depression 33. the stud 38 fixed in the lugs 37 on the cover plate 35 is a rock lever 39 having the arms 1-0 and 41. In the arm i0 is a cam roll 12 which rides against the outer face of the cam slide 31 and in the other arm is a screw 43 threaded therethrough and having a jamb nut 14s thereon.

In the cap or cover 17 is a shaft 41:5 upon which is a rock lever 16 opposite the center of the three separating wins 18. This rocl; lever is provided with an arm 17 having a head 18 with rounded outer walls, one of which contacts with the upper end of the center of the three separating pins 18, a downwardly projecting arm 49, and :1 lug 50, secured in which is a rod 51 that projects laterally upon either side thereof and engages the underside of each of the rock levers 52, also upon the shaft 45. Each of the rock levers is provided with a head 53 corresponding in general shape and size with that of the head 41-3 of the lever 4-53 and each having contact with one of the se mratpins 18. A plurality of flat springs 5-1 corresponding in number with the separating pins 18 are arranged relatively to the rock levers 4L6 and substantially as shown in Figure the outer end of each bearing against one of the rounded walls of the head of said rock levers and the other resting on a shelf 55 upon toe cap or cover 17 or adjacent parts, the tension of the springs being varied by the set screws 56.

Movably mounted within the bed 10 is a plunger 57 the inner end of which contacts with the arm 19 and the outer end is in the path of movement of the set screw 4-3. A spring 58 surrounding this plunger and having contact at one end with the bed 10 and the other end with a collar 50, exerts its tension so as tomaintain an outward pressure upon said plunger, thus keeping the outer end thereof in contact with said set screw 43.

In operation as the dies are returned to the wire feed line, the springs move the separating pins 18 downwardly and the lower pointed ends 19 thereof engage the angular corners of the dies 13 and 1-1 and hold the same apart in relation to the wire feed line sul'istantially as shown in Figure 6.

At the completion of the feed of the material. between the dies the cam slide 31 has moved to such position that the depression 33 therein is opposite the stud 60 fixed in the plunger head which is now projected therein by the action of the springs 23, until it strikes the bottom thereof. This produces a supplemental movement of the follower die, which is now brought into dournaled upon liltl register with the feed line and in contact with the material therebetween, substantially as shown in Figure 7. Thereafter the cut oil die is moved as has been heretofore the practice, until it also is brought into register with the feed line, at which time it is also in contact with the follower 'die. The action of these dies is thereafter continued as heretofore but during the cut off operation the projecting blank is entirely supported between the dies.

While I have described the follower die as being brought into contact with the material at the feed line before the cut off die, this is not essential as both dies can and probably will in most cases, engage the material at substantially the same time.

To facilitate the supplemental movement of the follower die toward the feed line, as above described, it is desirable that the tension of the springs 54: upon the separating pins 18 should be released or relaxed to minimize the pressure upon the follower die. This is accomplished at the beginning of said supplemental movement by the cam roll 42 riding upon the cam face 34 of the cam slide 31 and through the rock lever 39 that imparts an endwise movement to the plunger 57 and a rocking movement to the rock levers 46 and 52, thus lifting the outer end of the springs upwardly and removing the tension thereof entirely from the separating pins.

After the dies have traveled away from the wire feed line. the cam slide 31 has moved to such position that the cam roll 42 rides upon the cam face 34 relieving the pressure upon the plunger 57, and the spring 58 moves the same outwardly and permits the springs 5a to again exert their pressure upon the rock levers 46 and 52 and apply a downward tension to the separating pins 18, to open the dies at the wire feed line when next presented adjacent thereto.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1.. I11 a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies; of means for separating the dies at the feed line; means for moving the dies from the feed line to the upsetting line; and means for moving the dies from the upsetting line toward the feed line, which means imparts a supplemental movement toward the feed line of that die near-est the upsetting line.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that are moved from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means for separating said dies at the feed line, at which time the wire rod or length is fed therebetween; means for imparting a supplemental movement toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line until it contacts with that portion of the wire rod or len th between said dies b 9 and means for maintaining said die in con-.

tact with said wire rod or length during the cutting off operation.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that are moved from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means for separating the dies at the feed line so that each is substantially the same distance from the feed line; means for imparting a supplemental movement toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line; means for moving theother die toward the feed line until the same is in contact with the first mentioned die; and means for maintaining said dies in contact with each other and with the wire rod or length therebetween during the cutting off operation.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that move from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means for separating the dies at the feed line line; means for releasing the die separating means in timed relation with the movement of said dies; and means for imparting a plurality of independent movements toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that move from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means for separating the dies at the feed line by pressure mechanism; means for imparting a plurality of independent move ments toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line; and means for relaxing the tension of the pressure mechanism between the independent movements of one of the dies.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that move from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; tension means for separating the dies at the feed line, comprising in part one or more pins; means for imparting a plurality of independent movements toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line; and means for relaxing the tension of each of the se arating pins upon the dies between the inclependent movements of one of the dies.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that move from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; tension means for separating the dies at the feed line, comprising in part one or more pins; means for imparting a plurality of in dependent movements toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line; and means for relaxing the tension of each of the separating pins upon the dies between the independent movements of one of the dies, the tension relaxing; mechanism being act-uated through the mechanism that operates the dies.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies that move from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means for separating the dies at the feed line; a rock shaft; and means for imparting a plurality of independent movements toward the :teed line of that die nearest the upsetting line, con'iprising in part a reciproca ing' member having a connection with the rock shaft.

9. In a device ot the character described, he combination with companion dies that more from the feed line to the upsetting line and from the upsetting line to the feed line; means tor separating the dies at the feed line: and means for imparting a plurality of independent movements toward the feed line of that die nearest the upsetting line, c0mprising in parta reciprocating member and an independent element which during one of the independent movements of the die is within a recess therein.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with companion dies; of means for moving the same as a unit from the feed line to the upsetting line; means, composed in part of yielding mechanism, for moving the dies from the upsettingline to the teed line, that provides a plurality of independent movements ot one of such dies from the upsetting line to the feed line; and means for separating the dies at the feed line, one of such independent movements being imparted to the die after the dies have been separated as aforesaid, whereby it is brought into contact with a wire rod or length placed therebetween.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto at- .tixed my signature.

tICHARl) lilfiftll llt W ILCOX. 

